Blood Money
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: An investigation becomes personal for an Azorius Arrester when someone from his past becomes the victim of a violent crime. With a dangerous contract killer on the loose and the threat of a growing extortion racket, Alexi Lazlo and his partner are once again charged with serving justice and protecting the innocent people of Ravnica's Tenth District.
1. Criminal Intent

**Legal Disclaimer: In the spirit of the Azorius Senate, I should mention that Magic the Gathering and the world of Ravnica belongs to Wizards of the Coast.**

**Author's Note: While not an official sequel, this story takes place some time after my original fic, To Protect and Serve.**

* * *

The light of the late morning sun struggled to break out from the edges of the gray clouds which hung over the bustling streets of Ravnica. The springtime air was still cool and damp from a rain storm as the shoppers and merchants of the Tenth District took refuge into the warm safety of nearby restaurants and larger shopping halls. Once the storm began to pass over the towering spires of the district, citizens began to slowly filter back out along the main commercial thoroughfare of Tin Street. When they did, they made sure to give way for a man and a woman wearing the distinct blue and white guild uniforms of the Azorius Senate. The tall man was clad in the royal blue cloak and silver half plate armor of an Arrester while the greater ornamentation and devices identified him as a veteran officer of greater rank known as an Imperetor. Beside him walked an attractive female lawmage with blonde hair who looked to be about his same age, in her early thirties. Unlike her companion, she eschewed heavy armor in favor of a white dress with blue and gold trim signifying her rank as a Deputy of some sort. As the two strolled along past some elven merchants who were setting up their food cart again, the female lawmage gave them a nod with a calm reassuring smile. Her partner instead wore a more solemn look and kept a vigilant watch for any sort of dangers on the road.

They turned down a rain drenched sidestreet and continued walking on past a loxodon peddler hauling a wagon of goods and then some children playing in the puddles. The lawmage took in a deep breath and smiled, "You know, I just love it after a big rain, don't you Alexi? Everything is so calm and it smells so fresh and clean."

"Just wait for the sewers to back up, then tell me what you think Ana," the Arrester quipped with a stony expression.

Deputy Anastasia Radic slapped his arm gently and gave a sigh of mild indignation, "I swear Alexi Lazlo... do you always like being such a wet blanket all the time?"

"Only when it gets a rise out of you," he answered as he gave her a sidelong glance and then cracked a small smile.

Anastasia shook her head and gave a small laugh to herself. After having served as Alexi's partner for a year, the Boros Wojek turned Azorius lawmage had grown used to her comrade's ways. When she first met him and teamed up on an assignment, she had thought he was a cold and emotionally closed off Arrester. She had come to learn that he was disciplined and focused on the job, but still very lonely and mistrustful of others. It wasn't until they had uncovered a major conspiracy and outed a corrupt Azorius official that things had begun to change. Ana liked to think that she had slowly helped to bring her partner back out of his shell and that they both made each other better law enforcers. Perhaps part of that had been due to a mutual attraction and flirtation during their first assignment. They had shared a romantic night out before being made official partners, but since then they had been happy to keep that issue off to the side and carry on with a close but professional friendship on the job.

The two stopped at the door of a neighborhood hardware shop and Ana adjusted her belt, "Well cheer up partner. I know if there's one thing that puts you in a good mood, it's taking another criminal off the street. Are you ready to do this?"

"You're taking the lead on this one?" he asked curiously.

The lawmage shrugged, "Sure. We're just taking in an Izzet scientist. He's not going to be some wacko knife throwing cultist or axe wielding barbarian."

"He's an illegal arms dealer," Alexi pointed out but Ana patted his armored shoulder with a sweet smile.

"And it never hurts to have a little extra muscle on our side either. That's why I appreciate your backing me up here."

Alexi quietly rolled his eyes and followed her through the door of the dingy shop. Upon entering, the two Azorius saw that the shop went back a ways into the building with all sorts of supplies, and unusual magically-powered tools and equipment for home repair sitting on the shelves. Behind the main counter was a vedalkin man who had just finished selling some pipes and screws to a goblin customer and he looked up in surprise toward the two enforcers. The goblin clutched his shopping back and took one fearful look at the Arrester before scurrying out the door. The vedalkin shopkeep gave a nervous look to the Azorius and addressed Ana as she stepped forward, "Good morning. Uh... how can I help you folks?"

Ana approached with a calm smile, "Yolov Trul? I am Deputy Radic and this is Imperator Lazlo. We just came to ask you some questions."

"What kind of questions?"

Ana gave a thoughtful look and scratched her chin, "By chance, you wouldn't be able to tell us where we could purchase some mizzium mortars, would you?"

The vedalkin froze and looked at her with a startled face, "Mizzium mortars? No. Those are illegal for regular people to have."

"And yet some have been winding up in the hands of several street gangs who don't know how to use them properly," Ana continued with a dramatic sigh, "Why, just last week the last mortar one we found had already exploded and it roasted several gangers to a crisp. How many was it again?"

"Three," Alexi offered helpfully.

"Yes, thank you. At least three of the gangers," Ana said, "I imagine the gang leaders would not be happy with their supplier giving them such shoddy amateurish equipment, don't you think?"

The shopkeep's brow twitched slightly as he tried to ignore her veiled taunt, "I... have no idea what you're talking about, Deputy."

"That's odd, because your supervisors at the Izzet League seem to think that you're stealing spare parts and equipment from their labs to create weapons," Alexi cut in as he produced a written warrant, "And we have reason to believe that this shop is a front for your arms dealing business... and not an impressive one might I add."

The shopkeep fidgeted and defensively scowled, "I'm not going to let you poke around my shop!"

Anastasia hardened her features and grew serious as she produced her badge, "Yolov Trul, by the authority of the Azorius Senate, I'm placing you under arrest for grand theft, possession of contraband, and sale of illegal weapons to known criminal elements. If you'd like me to add obstruction of justice and resisting arrest, I can."

Yolov's facade began to crack as he panicked, "I... no. You've got the wrong guy. It isn't me!"

"Come with us Mr. Trul," Anastasia offered, "We can do things the easy way or the hard way."

The vedalkin criminal reached under the counter and produced a hand mounted mizzium apparatus that members of the Izzet League used to amplify spells for their experiments. He turned the cannon arm on the Azorius and fired off a small powerful burst of wind known as a blustersquall. Alexi grabbed his partner to shield her as the two Azorius were violently thrown backward across the shop, landing by the front door in a tangle of limbs and a clatter of armor. Yolov panicked again and began to make his escape out the backroom door as the two law enforcers slowly picked themselves up.

"Okay... the hard way it is," Alexi sourly muttered as he lay on the ground.

"Thanks for breaking my fall Alexi," Ana said as she untangled herself from his arms and hurried to her feet.

"Don't mention it," he groaned as he shook his head recovered to his feet as well. He drew a gladius short sword and headed for the door, "I'll go around back and cover the exit. Partner? Be careful?"

Anastasia gave him a quick nod and drew her own short sword before taking off after the rogue shopkeeper. As she pursued out the backroom door, she sprinted down a narrow hallway leading to a wider storage room. She heard a heavy rear door open and close as she rushed into the room. Standing in her way were two frostburn weirds. The strange hybrid elemental creatures created by the Izzet to assist in experiments and manual labor came at her to try and restrain her. The Deputy slashed one of the creature's icy arms aside before ducking under the guard of the second and slashing it. She turned her blade and thrust it a few inches into the glacial torso of the weird but stopped when she realized that it didn't have any vital organs and couldn't be killed like that. It swatted at her again but she tumbled backward and pulled the sword before spinning around to fire off a spell. Two ribbons of glowing golden law magic inscribed with Azorius runes sprung from her hands and coiled themselves around the icy monsters. The detained weirds toppled to the ground helplessly as Ana turned and headed out the rear door to continue her chase.

She burst out the door and into a side alley only to see Yolov running away with about a fifty meter head start. "Hey! Come back here! Hey!"

Yolov kept running and turned to glance over his shoulder at his pursuer but it cost him dearly. He didn't even see Alexi come from the end of the alleyway and blindside him. The veteran Arrester held out an armored forearm and violently clotheslined the criminal causing Yolov to fly head over heels and land on the pavement in a stunned heap. As Ana caught up from the alleyway, Alexi pulled off the mizzium apparatus and slapped handcuffs on Yolov. The blue skinned vedalkin groaned and protested from the now swelling bruises on his head, "Ow! Watch it! This is police brutality!"

"Yeah, yeah... why don't you shut up or I'll add a few more lumps to your misshapen head," Alexi sighed as he roughly hauled the criminal to his feet and looked to Ana, "You all right?"

"I'm fine," she said gratefully, "Thanks for the assist."

"Which reminds me," her partner said as he began to quote her in an exaggerated flippant impression of her, "We're just taking in an Izzet scientist. He's not going to be some wacko knife throwing cultist or axe wielding barbarian."

Ana sighed from the teasing and relented before giving him a grateful smile, "Okay, ha ha, you made your point. Good collar today partner."

Yolov grumbled sourly off to the side, "Oh geez, get a room you two."

Alexi roughly grabbed the criminal's arm from behind and twisted it to shut him up. He gave the lawmage a small grin and a quick nod as they dragged the villain away, "You're right Ana. I feel better already. Shall we?"

* * *

After depositing the rogue arms dealer at the local precinct office for processing and transport, the two Azorius officers made their way back toward their guild headquarters in New Phrav. There was sure to be a lot of paperwork to do and reports to be filed and the two weren't in any particular rush to dive into it just yet. They alighted from the carriage which had given them a ride across the district and they made their way down a familiar road toward the guildhall. In the distance, they could see the three large austere spires of the Azorius columns looming over the local skyline. To many in the district, they viewed it with trepidation and suspicion, but to the residents of the Second Precinct, it was a reassuring symbol of strength and order in the chaotic world.

Alexi and Ana strolled down a large trade road at the edge of the Griffin Heights neighborhood and the veteran Arrester took his moment to sigh in relaxation, "Well Radic, I don't know about you but I can't wait to get off duty later."

"Oh? Why's that?"

He brushed some dust off his blue cloak, "I was planning to go check out that new tavern that opened up near my home in Whitestone. O'Liry's Pub? I hear it's pretty popular with the other Arresters."

Ana nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, I heard it was a pretty decent place. You want some company?"

He glanced back to her with a curious expression, "Not that I really mind, but why? We already spend all day working with each other. You still want to hang around after hours?"

"Well, why not?" she offered giving his arm a little nudge, "It's not often I get to see you loosen up a little and have some fun."

They turned a corner and he grimaced slightly as he weighed things over in his head, "Well, I don't know..."

Just then, they heard emergency sirens start to blare as a plume of dark smoke rose in the air from a few blocks away. Several Ravnican citizens hurried to find help and the two were approached by a group of locals. One of the men who looked like a butcher breathlessly rushed up to Alexi, "Oh Arrester, thank goodness! Please come quickly!"

"What's the problem, sir?" Alexi asked as they crowd pointed them in the direction of the smoke.

"There's a fire," the butcher said, "I think someone's been hurt and the building is burning down."

The Imperator nodded to the civilians, and pulled his partner along, "All right. Stay calm and make way. We're going to help."

Responding to an emergency fire was not exactly the way that either of them planned to spend their afternoon, but it was their job as first responders to help and protect the public. They hurried down several blocks until they came to the scene of the fire. A crowd of onlookers had already been cordoned off by a group of Arresters while the local fire brigade was busy putting out a fire in a ground floor tailor shop. A couple Boros Wojeks in their red tunics were already present and speaking to some people off to the side while two other medics were huddled over someone laying on the ground.

Alexi's expression darkened and he seemed to grow more anxious as they neared the scene. One of the rank and file Arresters straightened up and gave a salute to him, "Imperator. Do you want us to..."

Alexi ignored him and strode past the guard, heading over toward the medics. Ana followed him in confusion before some of the Wojeks spotted him and came over to bar his way. A younger Wojek with a lanky build blocked his path and raised a hand, "Imperator? Hold on. We're in the middle of an investigation here..."

"The hell you are. Get out of my way," Alexi snarled pushing past the Wojek with his forearm. The other Wojeks started coming over to help but Ana raised a calming hand and urged them to stand down and give them a few minutes.

Amid the chaos and noise of the scene, Alexi hurried over to the medics and saw that they were treating a young woman who was lying comatose on the ground. She looked to be about his age, pretty with long dark hair that was tied in a braid. It appeared she had been pulled from the fire as her face and her blue dress was stained with soot. What was more troubling was the sight of blood from a head wound. Although he could not get a totally clear view, Alexi had guessed it was blunt force trauma wound from a hard blow to the head. The woman's face had paled slightly and it looked like she had lost some blood too. He spoke up over the medic's shoulder, "How is she? Is she going to be all right?"

The medics ignored him and kept working to bandage her head and use some healing magic. The veteran Arrester grew more agitated and shook the shoulder of one of the Boros healers, "Hey! Did you hear me? Is she going to be okay?"

The medic turned and shoved his hand away with an annoyed look, "With all due respect Imperator, back off! We've stabilized her but she's lost a lot of blood and she's still unconscious. Please, stand back and let us do our job. You should probably go do yours."

Alexi stepped back with a growl and clenched an armored fist as he looked back toward the smoke and fire which was consuming the neighborhood tailor shop. Ana cautiously approached her friend and spoke quietly, "Alexi? What's going on here? What's wrong?"

He took one more look to the woman on the ground and turned away slightly with an expression of silent indignation. Ana picked up on it and turned her head to try and meet his eyes, "Something to do with her then? Who is she?"

"An old friend," he finally admitted in a quiet voice, "Someone I grew up with."

Ana waited for a long moment but got nothing else before Alexi straightened himself up and began walking toward the crowd of onlookers, "Alexi? Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to do my job," he replied in a tone of solemn determination, "There's been a crime here and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."


	2. Probable Cause

The next day, Alexi and and Ana reported in to work at the district's second precinct offices in New Phrav. To many visitors and people attending court hearings for the first time, the seat of power for the Azorius Senate was a rather intimidating one. The government buildings in New Phrav were lined with white marble pillars and adorned with grand but austere architectural designs. It was meant to convey a marriage of Azorius might and wealth along with their cold logical pragmatism. Guildmembers and their support staff clad in blue and white robes bustled about the offices busily tending to their never ending work, from clerks and scribes to Arresters, judges, and government officials debating legislation. Within the Lyev Branch offices, Alexi and Ana sat in a small conference room with a young man about their age. He had a slim build and somewhat handsome features. He wore simple but well tailored clothes indicating some hints to his personality as well as his humble middle class profession. He had been at the fire in Griffin Heights the other day as it had been his shop and his wife that had suffered from the crime.

He still looked to be apprehensive and out of sorts but the investigators tried to put him at ease. Alexi had taken off his helmet and sat down across from the man with a notepad, "Kristof Mazur... thank you for coming today. You remember me and my partner Deputy Radic? If it's okay, we'd like to ask you a few questions about yesterday."

Kristof took a deep breath to calm himself and nodded as Ana handed him a glass of water, "Of course Imperator. How can I help?"

"We'd like you to tell us who might have attacked your wife Sara and set your tailor shop on fire," Alexi said, "Do you have any enemies? People who would want to do you direct harm?

Kristof grimaced and wrung his hands, "Well, no. But... I was just returning home from the market yesterday and didn't see what happened, but I have a pretty good idea of who did this. Do you guys know of the Black Vipers?"

Anastasia nodded slowly, "Sure. They're a pretty brutal street gang. Just last year I know they got into a bloody tussle with that goblin mob boss called Krenko."

"Well, it looks like the gang is trying to expand their turf," Kristof said darkly, "They've been going around threatening local business owners to give them a monthly payoff. They try to frame it as buying a kind of insurance... to protect against 'unfortunate' things from happening."

Alexi's features darkened, "Sounds more like an extortion racket to me. I'm guessing they approached your business then?"

Kristof gave another sheepish nod, "A lot of other businesses in our neighborhood reluctantly signed on with them."

"But you didn't?" the Arrester concluded.

Kristof gave a pained expression, "I was seriously considering it but Sara... well, she wouldn't hear of it. She got angry and chased two of those gangers out with a frying pan. I think she smashed in the face of one of them, quite literally broke the thug's nose."

Despite the circumstances, Alexi gave a small smile, "I'm actually not surprised. That sounds like something Sara would do."

Anastasia turned to give her partner a curious look as the tailor stared at the veteran Arrester, "Wait... is that the other reason you're personally looking into this case Imperator? Do you know my wife?"

Alexi's features tightened and he gave a polite nod, "Yes, Mr. Mazur. I was an old friend of hers. She lived next door to me when we were children and we sort of grew up together."

Kristof gave a slightly relieved expression, "Oh? I don't remember her ever mentioning you, but I'm still glad she has a friend looking out for her right now. I'm sure she'd thank you if she could too."

Ana spoke in a gentle tone, "We were sorry to hear about that. How is your wife doing, sir?"

"A little better I guess," Kristof admitted with a dark expression, "The healers say she's stable but she's still in a coma. They're not sure how long she's going to be asleep."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door and a young guild messenger poked his head inside, "Imperator Lazlo? Deputy Radic? When you're done here, Judge Acastus would like to see you both."

The two partners exchanged a puzzled look before Alexi nodded to the messenger, "Very good. We'll be along shortly. Mr. Mazur, thank you again for your help today. You've given us a good place to start with the investigation. Once you finish writing your statement, one of the clerks will take it and see you out."

The tailor cleared his throat and gave an imploring look, "Imperator Lazlo? I... please find the people who did this and bring them to justice? I can always rebuild my shop, but I can't replace Sara."

Alexi paused and gave a solemn nod before heading out the doorway, "I understand. I promise we'll get to the bottom of this."

Ana noted the unusual change in her partner's bearing but remained silent and followed him out of the conference room. They made their way out of the precinct office and strolled across along the edge of the Great Forum of Azor to the other side of the campus where the judges offices were located. A crowd of people had already gathered to listen to two elocutors having a public debate over taxes and the cost of utilities in the district. As they walked past and ignored the noise of the blustery politicians, Alexi pondered over some details of the information they gathered, "So... the Black Vipers are spreading out and going into the extortion business. Kinda sounds like the same MO of the Orzhov Syndicate, doesn't it?"

Ana gave a thoughtful look, "Well the Orzhov do have some operations in Griffin Heights. Unlike the upscale Whitestone, there more middle to working class neighborhoods. There have been instances were people there did some dirty business or fell victim to the Orzhov loan sharks. Still, wouldn't that piss off the Syndicate if you have a bunch of guildless gangers horning in on their turf?"

"Unless the Orzhov are working with the Vipers?" Alexi said posing a possible theory, "Maybe the Orzhov are looking for more enforcers in the area and sharing the profit?"

"Then I feel sorry for the gangers," Ana replied with a dry laugh, "Even if the Vipers are getting a payout, I'm sure they're still getting screwed over. Knowing the Orzhov, they'd make sure the gangers would be left with the short end of the stick."

Alexi shrugged and continued to think more before Ana spoke up, "So... any idea what Judge Acastus wants us for? Maybe a new assignment?"

"Maybe, but it's probably unlikely. I submitted a written request last night asking that we work on this Mazur case next."

The two walked into another building and passed several clerks and scribes as they headed toward the Judges' reception halls. Ana gave him a reproving frown, "Really, Lazlo? And just when were you going to tell me this?"

"Well... now seemed like as good a time as any," he admitted in a slightly sheepish tone, "I'm sorry I jumped on this without telling you first Ana. I just..."

"Judging by the way you were acting yesterday, this case is important to you?" she deduced. He gave a quiet nod.

"I could really use your help on this one partner."

The Deputy gave an annoyed sigh and then shook her head in resignation before giving his arm a gentle nudge, "Yeah... sure. What are friends for, right?"

"Thank you Ana," he said gratefully as they passed the last checkpoint and were allowed access into the hall with the Judges' chambers.

The two entered a large well furnished office with old dark wood furniture and comfortable chairs. Along the walls were bookshelves lined with legal books as well as tables loaded with a backlog of paperwork and research for upcoming court cases. A few scrolls and awards hung from one wall which served as a credenza while light streamed in from the large windows illuminating the figure who sat behind the main desk there. Acastus was an older man and his grey white hair and patrician features only added to the dignified appearance that he displayed while dressed in the royal blue robes of the Azorius judiciary. He looked up slowly from his work and put his pen down to greet the new arrivals, "Imperator. Deputy. Thank you for coming."

Alexi and Ana stopped and stood before him giving short respectful bows of their heads. Ana spoke first, "Judge Acastus. You asked to see us?"

"Yes," he nodded as he shuffled through some papers to find a folder, "I've gotten the initial filing of your arrest from the other day and I wanted to commend you for the good work. I also wanted to give you both a new assignment while you're here. It's regarding a recent incident that requires immediate attention from some of our more experienced guild members. Now where were those papers..."

He finally found what he was looking for and pulled a folder from the stack on his desk. He handed it off to Alexi and the veteran Arrester began to skim through the first few pages. Alexi's brows furrowed into a slight frown of dismay and he looked up from the folder, "Judge Acastus? This isn't the Mazur case I requested?"

The judge shook his head, "No Imperator. I want you and Ana to look into a homicide near the Griffin Heights area instead."

"Your Honor, with respect but we were the most veteran officers who responded to that arson and assault yesterday," Alexi protested, "We filed the initial report and witness statements."

"I know. I read your report as well as your request to take on the Mazur case and my answer is still no," Acastus answered patiently. "You indicated that you knew the victim so I think it's best you recuse yourself from further involvement."

"What? Why?" Alexi asked continuing to protest in an indignant tone.

"Alexi, you're not a rookie Arrester. You know why," Acastus said.

"You're worried I'll take the case personally? That I'd lose focus and introduce prejudice to the evidence that's gathered," the Imperator answered sourly, "Judge, you have nothing to worry about. I promise I'd..."

""My answer is still no Alexi. You made your point but I won't hear any more of this," Acastus warned him. The Imperator took a moment to compose himself and give a deep sigh before bowing his head.

"Of course. My apologies."

Ana took the folder and stepped forward, trying to change gears, "So you wanted us to look into a homicide?"

"Yes. We just received word earlier today from a messenger bird," Acastus said, "It looks like it might be an unusual case and given the experience and skill you both have, it's best you look into this. I've arranged a carriage to transport you immediately there when we're done with our meeting."

The lawmage gave a dutiful nod and tucked the folder under her arm, "Right then. You can count on us. Alexi?"

Her partner grimaced slightly and and gave a reluctant sigh as he followed her out of the judge's chambers, "Don't worry partner. I'm right behind you."

* * *

After leaving New Phrav, the two took a short carriage ride out to the other side of the district's second precinct. Upon arriving in south Griffin Heights, the two found themselves on the streets of a working class neighborhood there. Although the municipality was in the shadow of New Phrav, Griffin Heights was the least affluent of the neighborhoods in the second precinct. While still better off than a lot of other communities in the Tenth District, Griffin Heights still had its share of occasional crime, usually instigated by the creeping influence of the Orzhov guild. As the two investigators walked up the street, they saw the roads were not as well maintained and the buildings looked a little bit cheaper and dingier. There was already a crowd of curious people trying to poke their noses around the crime scene while a small squad of Arresters tried to maintain order and process the scene.

The Azorius guards let Alexi and Ana pass over the police line and head to a more narrow corner alley where the murder had apparently taken place. An Arrester standing guard gave a salute while a a male lawmage stood over the body taking notes. Ana immediately recognized him as one of the junior officers there and gave a polite wave in greeting. "Justiciar Sovel. Nice to see you here."

"Likewise Deputy Radic, though you'll forgive me if I said I wish it was under better circumstances," he replied looking up from his papers.

Alexi nodded and ambled over toward the victim, "Okay Justiciar, what have we got today?"

"Well sir, a grizzly scene I'm afraid," Sovel answered gesturing to the ground. On the cobblestone street lay the body of a man with a dark blanket draped over him and pool of blood underneath him. The justiciar lifted the covering to expose the body, "We've got a male, mid twenties. Cause of death looks to be a knife wound to the back as well as a slashed throat. The body is still fresh and I estimate he was killed sometime early this morning. Maybe just before dawn? The most interesting thing is this, though."

He pointed to a makeshift cord of rope that was placed around the victim's neck where a dead rat was attached by its tail. It looked like some sick version of a pendant necklace. Anastasia examined it with a look of mild disgust, "Hmm. Looks to me like it might be symbolic. Throw in the knife to the back and I'd say this was personal. Our guy was probably some low life that crossed someone?"

"Seems that way," Alexi chimed in as he bent down to examine the victim's forearm. He could see a distinct tattoo of a black snake twisting upward and rearing up to show its fangs, "This guy looks like he was a ganger who ran with the Black Vipers. We don't have a name on this guy yet, do we?"

The younger lawmage shook his head, "Not yet sir. We're still canvassing the area and asking around. It'll take some time yet."

As the lawmage went back to work taking notes, Alexi continued to examine the grisly murder scene. He had seen his fair share of gruesome homicides and he took more time to try and find some details that would offer more clues. Anastasia crouched down beside him and looked the victim over as well, "I think we can probably rule out the Rakdos. It's not messy enough and body parts are still intact. This killing looks a lot more targeted and deliberate."

"I agree," Alexi relied, "There's just a few things that aren't exactly adding up here. Why would this ganger be killed here like this?"

"Maybe it was revenge from some of the locals that the Black Vipers were extorting?" Ana suggested, "Or maybe... do you think this was the guy who attacked Sara Mazur? That maybe Kristof just took his revenge?"

Alexi wrinkled his features, "Possible, but unlikely. Unless he's a really good actor, Kristof doesn't seem like the guy who has it in him. Besides, that wouldn't explain the whole thing with the dead rat here. I'm wondering if there's some kind of inter-gang conflict going on."

Ana crossed her arms thoughtfully, "As far as organized crooks go, I know the Orzhov value loyalty and don't hesitate to knock off their own when they step out of line. But regular gangers?"

"They still have their own code of honor," Alexi said as he stood up, "A twisted and perverse one, but a code of ethics nonetheless."

"You think this guy was a snitch?" Ana mused curiously. "What information would he be leaking? And why would he turn on his own crew?"

Alexi wore a pensive expression and shrugged, "If the gang was expanding, maybe he wanted his own piece of the turf? Who knows? In the mean time, we should get to work. Until we learn who our guy is and who is connected to him, we can't determine anything solid right now."

Ana covered the corpse with the blanket and rose to her feet, "Right. Hey, partner? I know you're still kind of upset about the decision of Judge Acastus to keep you off that Mazur case, but look on the bright side. This case looks like it might still be connected to the Black Viper gang. Maybe it'll uncover some leads that'll help find Sara's attacker."

The Arrester gave a slight frown to himself before nodding quietly, "Yeah, I guess you're right Ana. Come on, let's get going."

Maybe she was right, Alexi thought to himself as he headed toward the crowd to start questioning people. Although he was unhappy at the judge's decision, he was determined to try and stay on top of that other case, even if he was at the periphery. He appreciated Ana's concern, though he hoped she wouldn't ask too much more about it. At least not for now. At the moment, he could focus on a new task, namely taking a dangerous killer off the streets of Ravnica.


	3. Chasing Ghosts

The next morning, Alexi and Ana sat in an interrogation room of the precinct's main office following the most recent lead in their new case. A young woman with tan skin and long dark brown hair sat across the table wearing a distraught look on her face. Judging by her appearance, she looked like she might have been a half elf and the brown leather clothing that she wore suggested she was probably one of the many guildless in the city. Ana checked her notepad and tried to put on a welcoming expression, "Miss Raluca Stanis. I'm sorry you had to come in under these circumstances. I know it must be hard and…"

"Of course it's hard!" Raluca retorted sharply as she held a handkerchief to her weepy eyes, "How am I supposed to feel? Dragos is dead!"

Alexi paused folded his hands while wearing a patient look, "Miss Stanis, do you know anyone who would have wanted to kill your boyfriend?"

She shook her head, "No."

The two Azorius exchanged a skeptical look before Ana cleared her throat, "Think you might want to try that again? I'm sure you know your boyfriend was in a street gang."

"Do the Black Vipers ring any bells?" Alexi asked.

Raluca's expression hardened and she gave him a cold glare, "Listen Arrester, I agreed to come down and help identify the body. I didn't agree to talk."

"Because you're scared of snitching?" Alexi prodded her, "What you tell us here stays in this room."

Raluca continued to stonewall him before Ana sighed, "Miss Stanis, we can protect you. If you know something, you have to tell us. Even if Dragos was a ganger, we have a job to get to the truth… unless you want your boyfriend's killer to go free?"

The two women stared each other down before Raluca began to relent a little toward the lawmage, "It had to have been one of the Vipers."

Alexi and Ana exchanged another puzzled look before Raluca continued, "A few days ago… the gang sent Dragos a message that they were going to pull a job and they wanted his help."

"What kind of job?" Alexi asked and the woman answered.

"He said they were going to strong-arm a few of the merchants and business people in Griffin Heights… for the Orzhov Syndicate."

"Damn… you were right," Ana muttered in dread to her partner, "And did he?"

Raluca shook her head, "No. You have to believe me Deputy. Dragos used to do some jobs for the Syndicate as a debt collector just like a lot of other members in that gang. But he wanted out. He and I were going to go try to open a business of our own with the money we had saved up. Dragos had tried to refuse the Vipers and that he didn't want to knock over any more joints, but…"

"But no one says 'no' to the Orzhov," Alexi finished with a dark tone in his voice, "Once you throw your lot in with them, you're indebted for life, right? I assume a lot of the other gangers are also in some kind of debt to the Orzhov?"

Raluca gave a despondent look and turned away but Ana kept pressing, "I doubt they had Dragos killed for something as trivial as saying no. There had to have been something more to it."

The half elf grimaced and looked silently at Ana. Alexi picked up on it and raised an eyebrow, "He had something on the Vipers, didn't he? Maybe he was going to flip on the gang? Extort the extortionists?"

Raluca turned to him, "Don't make me say any more! I don't want to end up like Dragos too."

"All right… then can you point us toward one of the low lives who will tell us?" Alexi asked.

Raluca gave him a regretful look, "Be careful what you wish for Arrester. There was one man in particular my boyfriend feared above all others in their circle. He is a hitman… an enforcer for the Syndicate that often worked close with the Vipers. He was usually brought in for the more _troublesome_ cases."

"And does this hitman have a name?" Ana prompted her.

"They only call him the Phantom," Raluca said, "That's all I know... I swear."

The two partners exchanged a look and left the room to speak outside. Alexi folded his arms, "Well? What do you think Ana?"

"I don't think she's lying," the lawmage sighed, "But it's not like we have a lot to go on with that information either."

Alexi patted her arm and gave a grim laugh, "Well then we've got our work cut out for us. Let's see what we can find."

* * *

Later the next day, the two investigators met each other at their precinct station to compare notes on their findings. They sat down at a desk and Alexi tiredly gestured to the large stack of scrolls and papers he had been combing through. He tiredly rubbed his hand over his face and gave an unhappy yawn while holding a mug of coffee, "So you know I did some digging and there's no mention of the Phantom in our record archives. I spent all last night and parts of the morning and I've got zip."

Ana gave her partner a sly grin and brushed some of her blonde hair aside in a proud gesture, "Well then you'll be happy to hear that I think we have a lead on the Phantom. He's an elf that goes by the name of Uthir. The guy lives out in the 4th Precinct and he's under suspicion of several political assassinations in the past few years, only no one can prove it."

Alexi gave a skeptical look, "Oh? And how do you know all this?"

"You just have to know where to look... or in this case, who to talk to," Ana replied cheerfully.

"Ah. So I'm guessing you called in a favor from your old Wojek friends?" Alexi guessed, "They're after him for something too?"

At that, a dark cloud set in over Ana's features and she hesitated to speak. Alexi looked to her expectantly, "Well? What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Ana winced slightly, "You might not want to hear this partner, but the Wojeks seem to think he might have been responsible for that attack on Sara and her shop."

"What?"

Ana gave him a quiet look as he stood there in shock, "They've been conducting their own independent investigation in the events from a few days ago. There have been some reports from a few witnesses and they claim to have seen him near the scene at around the same time as the attack."

Alexi remained silent and thought over her words which caused Ana to ask hesitantly, "Alexi? You're scaring me. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we go find this Uthir guy, before the Wojeks do."

Now it was Ana's turn to voice surprise and outrage, "What? Are you crazy? You'd risk meddling in a Boros affair?"

"And what if this guy is connected to our murder case?" he insisted.

Ana crossed her arms, "It's ironic that I'm the one reminding you we can't just pursue this on the basis of a wild hunch. We might need search warrants too and we don't have any basis for requesting them either."

The veteran Arrester headed for the door, "Come on partner. If we're lucky, we might not need them where we're going. Worst comes to worst, it won't hurt to poke around, right?"

"And where the hell are we going?"

Alexi drew his cloak up and patted his short sword at his side, "Where else? We're going to the 4th Precinct."

* * *

Later that afternoon, orange yellow sunlight bathed the dusty streets as the two Azorius made their way into the north eastern reaches of the Tenth District. Compared to other areas of the district, this place was arguably the most dangerous to live. Despite the imposing Boros guildhall of Sunhome towering along the skyline, there was little else to curb the chaos that sometimes erupted in this region. The Legion's fortress served as not only a defensive bulwark for civilization but as a constant target for the raids of the savage Gruul Clans who sometimes invaded the area. As if the threat of barbarian marauders wasn't enough, the other end of the precinct served as a dangerous testing ground for the mercurial whims of the Izzet scientists at their Nivix tower.

As the two walked the streets, they took in their surroundings and noticed just how different it was from the areas they normally patrolled. Many of the buildings closer to the Rubblebelt frontiers seemed spartan and dingy. No doubt there were plenty of illegal squatters who were living in some of the bombed out buildings and they gave the Azorius suspicious looks, wondering if they were here to evict some of the residents. Ana wrinkled her nose and quipped, "Nice neighborhood. Everyone here seems friendly."

"I have to say... if I was a contract killer this region would be the perfect place to hide," Alexi noted absently as he walked and enjoyed a cool spring breeze which blew through the alleys.

"And you actually think you know where this Uthir guy lives?" Ana asked in a mildly incredulous tone.

The Arrester shook his head to his partner, "No. But I know someone here who might. I've got an informant... a Golgari junk peddler who goes by the name of Bogdan."

"And how did you manage that?"

Alexi gave a nonplussed shrug, "A few years back I saved his life from a medusa criminal and he helped me put her away in prison. Every year since then, that medusa has sent me a winter holiday card from jail telling me she's going to kill me if she ever breaks out. Pretty thoughtful, don't you think?"

"Everyone needs a hobby I guess," Ana admitted with a dark chuckle as they came upon a small out of the way shop that was tucked away in an alley. Alexi led the way and pushed aside a curtain to enter the dingy place. A few windows allowed some light to stream in to the thrift shop where all manner of odds and ends lined the cluttered shelves. A few old books lay scattered about next to some odd Gruul tribal talismans. Some old moldy clothes hung from racks along with some assorted pieces of old rusty Boros armor and broken weapons. Along another wall of the shop were unsorted piles of random scrap metal and broken component devices from failed Izzet experiments. Alexi idly poked at some of the piles of junk and wiped some dust from his glove, "Hmm. It's cleaner than I last remember the place."

The lawmage looked at her partner incredulously before she pinched her nose in disgust as a pungent odor assaulted her senses, "Eww, what's that smell?"

A curtain doorway from deeper inside the shop parted and a grungy young Golgari scavenger appeared. He had long dark unwashed hair which was tied in dreadlocks and he was dressed in old mismatched leather clothes. The pale human man with some dark painted lines on his face skulked forward and flashed a toothy grin, "Well I'll be damned... Alexi Lazlo. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hello Bogdan. It has been a while. I see you've been staying out of trouble," the Arrester greeted him with surprising politeness, "How's business?"

"Oh you know... not great but I'm getting by," the junk peddler chuckled with unsettling cheerfulness, "In a warzone like this, it's good for us scrappers, but getting frequent customers? Not so much."

He ambled over to a table where he got some cups and a pitcher. He poured some liquid in it and offered a green sludgy drink. "Would you care for some Imperator? Or perhaps your partner? Miss?"

Alexi shook his head and his comrade followed suit.

"Err... no thanks," Ana said squeamishly, "Deputy Radic will do."

The Golgari scavenger shrugged and began to drink the concoction before looking to Alexi, "So... what can I do you for Alexi? You in the market to buy some Gruul jewelry for your lady friend there? Or maybe an Izzet flux capacitor?"

Alexi shook his head, "Actually, no. I need some information Bogdan. We're trying to find one of the locals. You wouldn't happen to know some elf that goes by the name of Uthir who lives around here, would you?"

Bogdan hesitated and grew silent before giving a nervous cough, "Oh... hmm, I'm not sure. Name is kinda familiar but I'm having a hard time remembering..."

The two Azorius exchanged a look before Alexi sighed and reached into his pocket and handed over two silver zib coins. Bogdan palmed the money and tucked it away, "Oh right. That Uthir... I seem to remember him now. Kind of a shifty mysterious type who ghosts about the precinct."

"Like a phantom?" Ana prodded him.

Bogdan gave her a look and snorted in amusement, "You said it, not me. It's kinda hard to pin him down since he's always coming and going... but if you plan to sit on his place, well I wouldn't recommend it. There are rumors that guy is dangerous... that he contracts with the Orzhov from time to time and carries out some hits for them."

"Do tell. You know where we can find him?" Ana asked.

Bogdan bit his lip and looked to Alexi, "I do... but I'd rather not say. I don't feel like getting knifed by him in an alley, and I wouldn't want to see the same happen to you... even if you are an Arrester."

"Thanks. I think," Alexi replied taking on an insistent tone, "Seriously though Bogdan. I need you to tell me where Uthir lives. It's very important."

Just then, they heard loud noises coming from outside. There were panicked cries from some residents of the hovels as they fled inside to lock their doors and shutters. Coming down the path were a group of Gruul marauders carrying primitive weapons in one hand with torches in the other. The barbarians in war paint approached with sadistic glee as they terrorized the residents with savage sounding whoops and cries. Bogdan began locking up his store while mumbling in dread, "Oh no... not again. Hopefully the Boros Legion doesn't take forever getting here like last time."

"We've got a former one right here," Alexi grimly joked while Ana shook her head.

"You just had to follow that stupid hunch, didn't you?"

The two law enforcers stepped into the street and faced down the small group of incoming raiders who spotted them and went to attack. If there was one thing the Gruul hated more than buildings and technology, it was the authority of the Azorius Senate. The Arrester and lawmage drew their blades and took defensive stances ready to meet the incoming charge. As the screaming savages wearing bones, feathers, and mismatched furs neared, the two Azorius brandished their badges and cast spells to blunt the charge. Ribbons of blue and gold law magic burst forth from their badges and the runes inscribed on the spell ribbons glowed brightly. The first rank of Gruul fighters were ensnared by the magic bands and toppled over harmlessly while the rest of their rabid raiding party continued to charge, trampling over their comrades.

Alexi met the first enemy berserker and used his armored vambrace to deflect the Gruul's cleaver aside before smashing him in the face. As the Gruul warrior fell, Alexi used his sword to parry aside the next foe's hatchet and then counter it. The Arrester forced open the raider's guard and turned his blade to thrust forward into the chest of the human warrior. There was a spray of blood as Alexi kicked off the Gruul fighter and for a moment, the remaining savages paused at the intimidating armored Arrester. Nearby, kicked a goblin raider away before locking weapons with a female Gruul marauder. The raider's bone club clashed against Ana's gladius and the furious female savage began to rain down a flurry to blows to break the guard of the lawmage. As Ana staggered back from the force of the onslaught, she waved an arm and cast another binding spell to momentarily halt her attacker.

The barbarian froze and felt her limbs go stiff before Ana disarmed her and knocked her out with a blow to the head with her bone club. No sooner had she downed her opponent, Ana turned and gasped as she saw one of the remaining Gruul standing off to the side preparing a spell. She wasn't sure if it was a druid or a shaman but she shouted a warning to her partner as Alexi dealt with the last of the Gruul heavies. The Arrester turned in surprise as the shaman let loose a jet of searing fire at him. Before it could scald him, Ana was at his side, waving a hand and creating a temporary barrier of magical force to shield them. The burst of fire deflected harmlessly off the shield and scorched the nearby streets and walls of the alley. The moment the shaman let up on his spell, Ana dropped her shield and Alexi threw his gladius as if he were throwing knives in the tavern. The flying short sword struck the Gruul spellcaster full on and lodged in his chest causing the last enemy to crumple sideways and collapse to the dusty ground.

"Phew... thanks Ana," Alexi sighed in relief as he put a hand on his partner's shoulder then went to retrieve his sword. As he pulled it from the dead shaman, the locals in the alley began to peek out of their homes to see if the coast was clear. Once the doors and shutters began to open again, locals made their way outside to gawk at the Gruul raiders and the two Azorius who defeated them.

"Call the Wojeks and keep an eye on these ones ones," Ana instructed some of the people regarding the Gruul who were still incapacitated by the binding of the law magic spells. Nearby, Alexi directed some of the men and pointed to the dead Gruul on the ground.

"The rest of you, clear the street up before the authorities arrive or I'll cite you for littering. Let's get a move on!"

Once that was taken care of, the two walked back inside Bogdan's shop as he reopened the doors and shutters. The Golgari junker gave a smile as he greeted them, "Glad you survived that little dust-up, Imperator. Out of respect for you, I wouldn't have looted all your belongings if you didn't."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Alexi answered in mild sarcasm, "Now about that address for Uthir? I think we've proven we can take care of ourselves."

Bogdan stared down the two Azorius before he finally relented with a sigh. "Fine. Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He took a piece of scrap paper and wrote down directions, then handed it off. "The Gruul in the alley... I don't suppose you'll let me pick over them before the Boros show up, will you?"

"Just don't let me see you doing it," Alexi warned him before plucking a discarded Azorius locket from a nearby shelf, "And I'll be taking this as well."

The Golgari shrugged and gave a wave as the Azorius left the shop, "Pleasure doing business Imperator. Come again soon."

Once they were back outside in the open air, Ana looked over the scrap of paper where Bogdan had scrawled out a note in his messy handwriting, "All right... 259 West Sandstone Alley. You really think this is it?"

"Only one way to find out," Alexi said taking the paper and leading the way down the road, "Let's go pay the Phantom a little visit."


	4. Due Process

Some time later that day, Alexi and Ana made their way across the precinct and found the address of their suspect. Despite the dangers of the Rubblebelt to the east, Sandstone Alley was in a relatively safer area close to the northernmost edges of Tin Street. The two Azorius continued on and got some curious looks from the local residents who were out that day. That particular quarter seemed to have a lot of minotaur and viashino lizardfolk that lived there, which at least made spotting an elf in the crowds a little bit easier. After walking the dusty sunlit street, the two came across a small two flat building which was coated in tan stucco from the outside. Despite its modest appearance, it still looked to be one of the nicer more well maintained homes in the quarter.

They crossed the gate and came to the door before Ana gave several knocks. They waited a long moment and got no response. "Okay… maybe he's not in. What are we going to do now?"

Alexi gave the old rusty doorknob a few rough jiggles and pried the door open, "We have a look around."

Ana stared at him incredulously as he drew his gladius and peeked inside, "Alexi? Are you crazy? We're breaking in and entering!"

"No we're not. The door was open so we're investigating a suspicious looking scene," he reasoned while stepping inside. The lawmage shook her head and quietly drew her weapon as well. Normally she would be doing this sort of thing and Alexi was the one reining her in. Her Boros attitude from serving in the Wojeks had instilled in her the mentality that sometimes the rulebook had to be thrown out in order to do the most good. To see her by-the-book partner now stretching the law to its very limits was a bit unnerving to and she had her suspicions over why.

The two quietly padded inside the nicer apartment building and looked around. The home's decor was on the simple and utilitarian side, basic furniture and shelves along with a few pieces of abstract art on the walls. As they paced around the first floor, Alexi spoke aloud, "Mr. Uthir? This is the Azorius police forces. Are you there? Is anyone home?"

They were only answered with silence. Alexi turned to his partner and gestured for them to split up past a room divider. He headed deeper inside the living room while Ana looked around by a hallway leading to the bedroom. As Alexi made his way deeper into the home and eyed the shelves, he was surprised when a figure burst from a nearby closet and attacked him from behind. The Arrester turned just in time to see an elven male with long dark hair drop his shoulder and tackle him into a wall. The two men grappled and Alexi threw an elbow into his attacker causing him to stumble over. Just as the Arrester raised his badge to cast a spell, the elf lashed out in a surprising counterattack. He kicked out one of Alexi's legs and caused the Arrester to topple over to the ground. Alexi grunted and raised his guard just in time to block a punch from his attacker who leapt on top of him. As they grappled again, Alexi tried to raise his badge but the elf was too quick and pinned his forearm to the floor.

Just then, there was a flash of blue light as golden bands of glowing runes and law magic hit the elf from behind and tied his body up. He fell over sideways and lay helpless as Ana emerged from the hallway with her own badge. "You okay partner?"

"I'm fine," Alexi replied as he picked himself up and addressed his attacker, "And you must be the guy called Uthir? The Phantom of the 4th Precinct?"

"I don't know what Phantom you're talking about, but Uthir is my name," the elf replied with a cold expression.

"Well Uthir, you're in a bit of trouble here," Alexi continued, "Assaulting an officer of the law?"

"Oh please. I was defending my home," Uthir retorted with smug calmness, "I didn't hear you identify yourself so I thought maybe you're a faker. The 4th is a dangerous place after all."

"Let me introduce myself then. I'm Imperator Alexi Lazlo. I'm a good friend of Sara Mazur from Griffin Heights. Sound familiar?"

Uthir looked to Ana and sneered, "No. And since when do Arresters start breaking down people's doors without just cause? I was minding my own business."

"We'll see what kind of business you're up to," Alexi said hauling the suspect to his feet, "Let's take a ride back to New Phrav and have a little talk."

* * *

Late that day, the two returned back to New Phrav with their prisoner. On the trip back, Uthir had been surprisingly cooperative and quiet. He still refused to talk, even when he was placed in an interrogation room of the precinct station and chained to the desk. The elf tested his restraints and looked up as Alexi sat back and crossed his arms, "I hear you're pretty slippery and dangerous but I doubt even you can get out of those."

"I have no idea what you're talking about Imperator Lazlo," the criminal, "I haven't done anything and even if I did, you have no proof. My advokist will tell you the same thing when they arrive."

"So how about we have a little chat until then?" Ana prodded as she came over to sit down too, "I noticed you have a pretty nice place for the Fourth Precinct. What do you do for a living?"

Uthir gave a sly grin, "I'm a jack of all trades and do a lot of odds and ends. Usually jobs people don't want to do themselves."

"Like killing gangers or extorting defenseless merchants?" the Arrester retorted snidely.

Uhir looked calmly to him but was not baited by Alexi's goading, "Of course not Imperator. I think we can both agree that killing and mugging is bad for business. And you can drop the good cop bad cop routine. I'm not going to be fooled by that either so you're wasting your time."

Ana folded her hands and narrowed her gaze, "Okay, then we'll cut to the chase. Where were you three days ago at around noontime?"

"At the Ismeri Library reading the Azorius criminal statutes to know when I'm being victimized by the police," he retorted in defiance, "Like right now."

There was a knock at the door and a female scribe poked her head in, "Deputy Radic? Sorry to bother you, but there are some people outside to see you. It's important."

Ana gave Alexi a pat on the shoulder and walked out to take care of it leaving the two men to stare each other down. Once she was gone, Uthir looked at Alexi and began to laugh quietly with a malicious smirk, "So that stubborn bitch from Griffin Heights didn't burn down with her shop after all, huh? Too bad. I should have finished her off and tied up loose ends when I had the chance."

"What did you just say?" Alexi asked in a slow but murderous voice.

"I said I should have killed her... slit her pretty little throat just like I did that ganger named Dragos," Uthir cackled.

Alex remained motionless and silent for a moment before he pounded his fist on the table and rose from his seat. "You son of a bitch!"

Uthir began to lean back in his seat and brace for another fight when the door opened from the commotion. At the doorway Ana reentered the interrogation room wearing a sour look, "I've got some bad news Alexi."

"The Deputy is correct," another woman's voice called as she pushed past and entered. She was a pale young woman with long dark hair tied up neatly in an updo. She moved like a snake with an oily type of confidence and the fine jewelry she wore around her wrist and her neck jingled quietly as she did. The woman wore a fashionable white robe with gold trim and the distinct emblem of a sunburst marking her as an advokist of the the Orzhov Syndicate. She sat down beside Uthir and gave Alexi a smug smile that dripped with fake politeness, "My client has nothing more to say to you Imperator. I'd rather we not waste each others' time with this illegal interrogation. We both know you have nothing on my client and that you have no legitimate grounds to detain him further."

Alexi growled loudly in outrage, "What are you talking about? He just admitted to murder, extortion, and assault!"

The Orzhov advokist turned to Uthir and he feigned an innocent shrug, "I have no idea what he's talking about, Miss. I never did any of those things."

"It's your word against his Imperator," the advokist said giving Alexi another grin.

"Don't forget, he assaulted an officer of the law," Alexi pointed out but the Orzhov advokist waved it off dismissively.

"A charge that will never hold up in court, Imperator. If I'm understanding things right, you and Deputy Radic entered my client's home without any kind of search warrant or probable cause. You were the ones trespassing."

Alexi growled as he was stonewalled again before he spotted Ana wave him over toward the doorway. She spoke quietly and pointed back inside the main office, "That's not the only bad news. Judge Acastus is here. He wants to speak with you and he doesn't sound too happy either."

She continued to watch to interrogation room while Alexi sighed and walked over to meet the Azorius judge who was waiting by an empty desk in the corner of the precinct office. The older judge greeted the veteran Arrester with a frown and spoke with an edge in his normally level tone of voice, "Imperator Lazlo? What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to bring a contract killer down Judge," he answered, "He just admitted to the extortion ring and the murder in Griffin Heights but now he's lying."

"That doesn't matter! The way you brought him in was all wrong!" Acastus rebuked him sternly, "You know better than this Alexi. We aren't going to resort to vigilante style justice like the Boros. There are rules we have to follow."

"Judge Acastus, I'm sorry but…"

"But nothing," Acastus said cutting him off, "We can't prosecute on a hunch. Until you have solid evidence and probable cause, I'm ordering you to cut that suspect loose."

"But Judge..." Alexi pleaded.

"Now, Imperator." Acastus demanded sternly.

Alexi swallowed his indignation and gave a respectful nod, "Yes, Judge. I'm sorry."

Acastus softened his disapproving frown a little, "My boy, I've known you a long time and I know you rarely act this way while working a case. If this has something to do with the Griffin Heights extortion incident that's tied to this…"

"You don't have to say it sir," Alexi said in a more sober and contrite tone, "Maybe I was letting that case get to me here. I promise I'll stay focused and do better. This won't happen again."

"Very well Imperator. See that it doesn't," Acastus sighed as he gave a final nod and the blue robed judge departed the office.

Alexi gave an equally deflated sigh and took a minute to regroup after being dressed down. Acastus was right. Alexi had let what happened to Sara get to his head and it made him careless. The Orzhov criminals had gotten the best of him for now, but he made a silent resolution that he wouldn't let them get away with it either. If he was going to bring them to justice, he'd have to be smarter about it. That meant for now, he had to lick his wounds and try to figure out a new strategy.

* * *

The next afternoon, Alexi decided to dedicate part of his weekend time off to go visit someone in the hospital. As he was no longer on duty, he left behind his armor and his uniform in favor of some simple brown slacks and a casual blue tunic over a white undershirt. A nurse directed Alexi to the hospital room where Sara Mazur was being treated and he saw that she was alone at the moment. The young woman still lay in bed looking a little sickly, but better than he remembered from several days ago. Some color had returned to her cheeks and her breathing was slow and steady as she continued to sleep. One of the healers there had told him that while she was showing signs of improvement, Sara was still in her coma fighting to recover from the terrible injury she had suffered to the head.

Alexi walked in and gave a faint smile carrying a small bundle of flowers consisting of white lilies and blue morning glories, "Hi Sara... it's me again. I brought you something and figured they might cheer you up. I remember you always used to like these flowers."

She remained silent and Alexi sighed as he put the flowers in an empty vase that was sitting on a shelf. He walked over and sat down in a chair at Sara's bedside and remained quiet for a moment, trying to think of the right words to say. After a time, he cleared his throat, "I'm sorry it's been so long. I probably should have tried to come by... just to see how you were doing. I kept meaning to come by your shop, to make an excuse to fix my uniform or something... to at least say something to you, but I never knew what I was going to say. Now the only thing that can think of is... I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you, and I'm sorry I'm not doing a very good job right now of nailing the guy who did this to you. Right now my boss is upset with me, and maybe my partner is too."

"I think she understands," came a familiar voice from the doorway. Alexi looked up in sudden surprise to see his partner tentatively poking her head inside. Like him, she had dressed down today to a casual gray skirt and a dark blue blouse. Her blonde hair which was normally done up in a neat professional looking style was worn in a loose ponytail.

"Anastasia? I... what are you doing here?" Alexi asked in surprise as she entered and came over to join him.

"Oh... well, we had a tough week and I thought maybe talking to friend would cheer you up a little. Maybe over a few drinks at O'Liry's?"

He gave a mild snort of amusement, "Thanks, I'll think about it. But how did you know I'd be here right now?"

"A little owl told me," she joked giving his arm a gentle shove, "Come on, you do know we are professional detectives, right?"

Alexi folded his hands and sat back in hi chair with a sigh as he looked over Sara, "Okay detective, then just how much of my private conversation did you hear?"

"Enough to figure out Sara was really important to you," Ana observed, "You loved her... didn't you?"

"Yes," he admitted quietly, "I grew up with her and she was the first girl I loved. Sara and I had been in a relationship and were each other's firsts in a lot of other ways too. I know I was just a young dumb kid at the time, but I did think of marrying her."

Ana nodded quietly but decided to remain silent. Alexi anticipated her next line of questioning and gave a small wistful chuckle, "It's okay, I already know what you're going to ask next. Sara and I broke things off when I took on my job with the guild and became an Arrester."

"She couldn't deal with the job, then?" Ana asked.

"I went into law enforcement just like my own father, but she didn't understand why I believed in the mission of the Azorius. I think the biggest thing she couldn't handle though was the possibility that on any given night, I might not make it back home either."

"It's not an easy life we lead," Ana admitted sympathetically, "It's a lot to ask of any potential spouse or partner. I'm guessing it was a painful breakup, huh?"

Alexi grimaced slightly at some bittersweet memories, "Yeah... well, it's been several years and we both went our separate ways. Even if I couldn't bring myself to confront her, I made sure that whenever I was passing though the neighborhood, I'd try and keep watch over her from a distance. Up to now, I was just glad that she was safe and happy with her new life."

"What about you?" Ana asked, "You shouldn't feel like you need to martyr yourself either. You deserve to be happy too. We all do, don't you think?"

He shrugged, "I suppose... but for what it's worth, my life hasn't been too bad either. I've still been happy with my career and maybe I am a little happier now with some of the more recent changes in my life too."

Ana smiled toward him gently, "Thank you... and thank you for telling all this too. I never would have pegged you for a romantic. It's nice to know you do have a soft mushy side under all that cold heavy armor you wear."

He glared at her with mild incredulity making her chuckle even more, "What? I always thought you were married to your job."

Alexi rolled his eyes gently and reached out to take Sara's hand on the bed. He gave it a little squeeze and spoke quietly, "Listen Sara, I'm going to need to ask you to do something right now. I need you to keep fighting so that you can get well. And when you wake up again, I'd like to speak with you. I want to be able to tell you that I'm sorry, and that I got the guy who did this to you."

"We both would," Ana added toward the comatose woman as she put her own hand over Alexi's too. He looked to his partner and they exchanged a quiet smile but the tender moment didn't last long. There was a sudden knock at the door and a messenger stepped inside carrying a small hand held message case.

"Mr. Alexi Lazlo? Delivery for you, sir."

The Imperator blinked in surprise and retrieved the small cylinder. Once the messenger departed, Alexi opened the container and was surprised to pull out a small roll of magical energy that glowed in his hand. He unrolled it into a strand and immediately recognized it as a Dimir thought strand. Ana sat quietly and watched as her partner read the message in silence. His eyes eyes went wide and his features darkened as the thought strand stopped glowing and began to disintegrate to dust in his hands. "Damn him!"

"Alexi? What is it? What's wrong?"

He clenched a fist and looked up with a grave expression, "A message from Uthir. He's taunting me now. He's passing along a message from the Phantom suggesting we make a well being check on that half elf Raluca."

"The girlfriend of that slain Black Viperr?" Ana asked in surprise, "Why?"

Alexi turned toward the door and grimly gestured for Ana to follow him, "To make sure she's still breathing."


	5. Animus Possidendi

Before leaving the hospital, Alexi ordered that an Arrester be called to stand guard over Sara for fear of the Phantom assassin making good on his threat to tie up more loose ends. They proceeded to cross the district to the Sixth Precinct where Raluca and her gang aligned boyfriend Dragos had lived. Compared to the Fourth Precinct, the Sixth had its own share of dangers though they came more from Rakdos cultists, undead monsters, and criminal activity at the Orzhov warehouses. Upon arriving at the apartment building of Raluca, Alexi and Ana flashed their badges and gained access from the building manager. There they found the woman laying dead in her living room, killed much the same way as her boyfriend was.

As the building manager rushed off in fear to get more help, the two Azorius stood silently wearing dark scowls upon their faces. Ana bent down and stopped to examine the body and blood pattern with a sigh, "Well, at least he's consistent with his style. If he's daring us to prove it's him, he's pretty ballsy."

"It's clear he's being protected by the Orzhov," Alexi mused as he paced the room looking around for anything else left amiss, "Plausible deniability is their stock in trade when it comes to these things."

"You don't think he's going to try and come for us next, do you?" the lawmage asked.

Alexi shook his head, "I kinda doubt it. Killing us would invite too much trouble and get the whole department involved. Uthir's not that stupid. I think he's taunting us… sending a message to try and demoralize us."

"Well what are we going to do?" Ana asked in frustration, "We can't let any more innocent people get killed in the crossfire. Raluca here tried to help us and we failed her."

Alexi crossed his arms and closed his eyes with a pensive look, "We find a new way to attack the problem."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ana groaned, "Even if Uthir is responsible for all this, we don't have a lot of clear evidence to go on right now. We still can't back up our claim against him with anything solid."

"Maybe so," Alexi said thoughtfully as he begun to rummage through some drawers and papers lying about, "If we can't get to Uthir, then we'll have to go through someone who can. Remember how I said that gangers and the Orzhov have their own code of conduct? That loyalty is one of their core values?"

Ana stood up and walked over to join him, "Yes. So what? You plan to play them off each other somehow? We can't exactly bribe them or pay the ridiculous sums anyway."

"True, but we have our own form of leverage with their money," Alexi smirked as he pulled a folded up piece of paper from the stack he was digging through. He opened it up to reveal a bank slip with the account information of Dragos, "You remember the list of extortion jobs that the Vipers wanted Dragos to join them on? Well, I say if we find it, we can head them all off at the pass."

"With a bank slip?" Ana asked in confusion.

"If we know the Orzhov, they work through their bank for everything. They have safety deposit vaults and secure drop boxes. My guess is that's where they leave instructions for their hired thugs and their tax collectors. With any luck, we may nail a couple Orzhov crooks while we're at it."

Ana's lips curled into a sly grin, "So once we know when and where the next extortion job we set up a sting and cuff everyone there? That's a brilliant idea Alexi. I'm sure Acastus wouldn't mind killing two birds with one stone."

He held up a hand, "Hold on Ana, if we're going to do this, we still have to be smart about it. Because he's dead, the financial accounts of Dragos at Vizkopa are going to be frozen right now while his case goes to probate court. We need to subpoena any and all of his deposit boxes or paperwork stored there."

"Except for one problem," Ana pointed out, "Vizkopa is Orzhov territory. If we go poking around there, someone's going to tip off the Syndicate and their advokists will shove injunction orders straight up our asses."

"Not if they don't remember who or what they're going after," Alexi grinned. "Just trust me here and meet me tomorrow morning at 10 in front of the steps to Vizkopa Bank. I'm going to arrange for some extra help on this one."

* * *

The next morning, Anastasia Radic donned her guild uniform again and made her way down the streets of the First Precinct until she stopped in front of the large central bank of Ravnica. Vizkopa had always served as the beating heart of the Orzhov Syndicate and was located alongside the impressive guildhall of Orzhova, better known to some as the Church of Deals. She took a moment to admire the soaring architecture of the large stone building that moreso resembled a giant cathedral with its flying buttresses, its stained glass windows, and old gargoyles that lined the rooftops. Just like a church, the bank kept its doors open to all manner of Ravnican citizens that were passing through from businessmen, politicians, and common people who held savings accounts there. Ana waited patiently for another minute or two before she spotted Alexi coming down the road. At his side was another Azorius guild member dressed in the blue robes of a court clerk. The man with Alexi looked to be a little bit younger, perhaps in his mid twenties with pale gaunt features and a slight hunch in his posture.

"Ana. Good morning," Alexi greeted her as they approached and headed for the doors to the bank, "We're going to have an assistant today. I'd like to introduce you to Cassius Ral."

The younger man gave a quiet but polite nod, "Deputy Radic. It's an honor."

"Err, pleased to meet you too," Ana replied shaking his hand and turning to her partner in confusion, "If you don't mind my asking, you bought along a court clerk?"

Alexi put an arm around her shoulder and continued to lead her inside, "Yes. He was the one who helped me secure a notarized subpoena order for the records we're looking for. You know how that kind of paperwork can sit around in the judges' offices for days. He helped expedite the process and will make this official."

The three strolled into the busy interior of Vizkopa past several marble pillars and pedestals with decorative statues lining the way. Despite the large number of bankers and customers going here and there, the floor of the opulent bank remarkably seemed to remain polished and clean. They approached the lines and found help from an Orzhov employee behind a gilded bank teller's station. She was a young woman in a slim black dress trimmed with gold. Her hair was tied up giving her a professional look and she gave them a cool smile from behind her spectacles, "Good morning. Can I help you folks?"

Alex raised his badge and produced the bank slip of the slain ganger Dragos, "Miss, I'm Imperator Lazlo of the Azorius Senate. We're conducting a criminal investigation and we need access to the deposit boxes of this customer."

Before she could speak and throw up the roadblock, Cassius produced the subpoena document from the scroll case at his side. He gave her a charming smile and spoke with a flirtatious sort of confidence, "I believe you were going to ask for this, Miss? We can sit here and wait if you'd like to verify it yourself."

The bank teller looked at them in surprise and then to the document. She gave a nod and handed it back with a slight blush in her cheeks. She gave Cassius a small smile and brushed some hair back, "No, that won't be necessary. I'll take you to the deposit boxes. This way please."

Cassius grinned and followed the bank teller as Alexi and Ana joined in behind him. Ana couldn't help but give an amused snort while raising her eyebrow, "Huh... that's a first, but not bad. Where did you say this guy came from?"

"Trust me. He came highly recommended from Judge Acastus himself," Alexi answered quickly as they were lead inside the bank's secure areas in back. They walked down a hall lined with other doors until they finally came to a room where the drop boxes were stored. The teller led them to the correct row and produced the box. She set it down on a table and unlocked it with a key. Once that was done, she gave a slight bow of the head and headed for the door.

"I'll be right outside if you need further assistance."

Cassius reached out and stopped her, placing his arm against the wall to bar her path. He flashed another charming smile and spoke in a sly voice, "Wait. There are a few more things you could do for me. Could you tell me your name?"

She blushed again, "Oh... umm, my name is Leila."

"Well Leila... my name is Cassius. Now that we're on a first name basis, I'd like you to just hold still for a moment."

He reached up as if to brush away some of her hair in a flirtatious way when he cast some sort of magic spell. Leila froze in place with a blank look on her face while Cassius removed a glowing strand of blue energy from her temple. Ana gawked in total surprise and looked to Alexi, "Mind magic? That's a thought strand! That isn't a..."

"Dimir operative? You bet he is," Alexi said calmly as he opened the safe deposit box and dug around, "Cassius was going to be sentenced for a crime, but he agreed to help the guild out in order to reduce his sentence."

Cassius nodded to confirm the statement as he manipulated some of the glowing runes, "The Imperator is right, and don't worry about what I'm doing here. I'm just altering Leila's memory about meeting us. Can't risk her snitching to the Syndicate and letting them know we're poking our noses around here."

"Aha! Found it!" Alexi smiled as he a pulled out the schedule of jobs for the Black Vipers. He tucked it away into his pocket and closed up the lock box, "All right. We're done here."

He and Ana made their way out of the vault before Cassius placed the altered thought strand back into Leila's head. He hurried out and followed the Azorius before Leila recovered from her daze and looked around in confusion, seeing that she was left alone in an empty room by herself. Once Alexi and his friends left the bank and walked for several blocks, he pulled out some handcuffs and placed them on the wrists of the Dimir agent. "Thank you Mr. Ral. Your services to the Senate are appreciated and will be taken into consideration. I will personally vouch for it myself."

Cassius shrugged and gave a sigh as they continued walking back toward New Prahv. Ana crossed her arms and gave an amused look to her comrade, "Well partner, I've got to admit that was actually kinda clever. I assume you want me to start organizing a sting operation?"

"The next job is coming up very soon actually," Alexi noted, "With any luck we'll hit it big and make the Orzhov feel this one."

* * *

The following evening, a late night fog had set in over the neighborhood of Griffin Heights as a group of people made their way from various roads to converge on a corner butcher's shop. The figures that gathered on the quiet empty street were all clothed in black hooded cloaks to ward of the night's chill and to protect their identities as well. Several of the cloaked strangers produced clubs from her belts while another lit a few torches. On his forearm was the mark of a black snake identifying him as a member of the Black Viper gang. As he handed off a couple torches, he turned to another cloaked figure who looked like was keeping watch, "You're sure this is the right place? You think he'll pay up after this?"

"Probably. It's a shame it had to come to this though. This was a pretty popular joint for the locals," the watchman said.

No sooner did he say that was when a bolt of blue magic shot out of nowhere and hit the ganger with the torch. The ganger was immediately restrained by bands of glowing law magic and he toppled over to the pavement while spotlights lit up from above on the rooftops of some nearby buildings. A voice called out loudly, "In the name of the Senate! Hold it right there! Stand down and surrender!"

The Vipers scrambled in alarm and tried to run away down some nearby side streets but they were immediately cut off as Azorius Arresters and lawmages emerged from the shadowy mists and swarmed the area. The lawmages tagged several more gangers with their binding magic while a pack of blue cloaked Arresters wielding spears rounded up the remaining criminals. Once they were rounded up and forced to their knees, their hoods were removed one by one so that they could be arrested. Amid the chaotic aftermath of the ambush, Alexi and Ana made their way into the crowd to survey the results. To their pleasant surprise, the elf assassin Uthir was among the number of captured criminals having been standing by as their guard and lookout.

"Well look what we have here," Ana taunted the criminal as they looked down on him and the other gangers, "Fancy meeting you here Uthir. You can call your legal aid again, but you might have a hard time explaining away attempted arson this time."

Uthir snorted and spoke in a mocking tone as he turned to face Alexi, "All right... so you got us all on this minor charge. Your silly laws can't hold me. I'll be back out on the streets in no time, isn't that right Imperator?"

To Ana's surprise, Alexi stepped forward and removed the handcuffs from Uthir's wrists, "Yes. That's right. You're free to go."

Ana blinked again in total shock, "Alexi? What are you doing?"

"Is this some kind of joke?" Uthir asked in agreement as the veteran Arrester pulled him to his feet.

Alexi shook his head, "No joke Uthir. You did your part. Thank you for your help."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Alexi pointed to the gangers nearby, "Don't be so modest. You just helped us take down the Black Vipers and break up an Orzhov extortion ring."

A look of fear and panic flashed on the elf's face as he heard several of the Vipers give shouts of anger and outrage toward him, "You bastard! You sold us out you pointy eared fairy? Traitor! You're dead meat buddy!"

The elf gave a venomous look toward Alexi before simply turning away and walking off down an alley. Once he was gone, Ana came up to join her partner as he continued to watch the direction the criminal walked off in. "That's a pretty big gamble you're making. You know that, right?"

"I know partner," he said with a quiet nod, "That guy is too smart and dangerous and we can't stop him with our own laws, so we'll let the Orzhov handle things in-house. Nobody likes a snitch... even fake ones."

"You sure you know what you're doing?"

Alexi patted her shoulder and turned to help their fellow guild members process all the other gang members they had captured, "For all our sakes, I sure hope so."

* * *

**A/N:**  
**To be concluded in the next chapter...**


	6. Summary Judgment

It had been two days since the major sting at Griffin Heights which finally took the Black Viper gang off the streets. With the extortion ring broken up, it was no surprise that the gang members turned one by one on their patron in hopes of securing more lenient punishments. With the Orzhov Syndicate implicated, more investigations were now going to be launched as well as a probe into the business dealings of a local pontiff. Having believed that the guild's Phantom hitman Uthir had betrayed them, the gangers all began to point fingers at him for the death of their former comrade Dragos. At the very least, the findings of the Mazur case now officially tied into Alexi's case meaning he had more leeway as well. In the meantime, he doubted he would be getting back into the field just yet to hunt down his newest foe. There had been a small mountain of paperwork to do after the arrest of the Black Vipers and he had some catching up to do.

Bright morning light streamed in from the precinct office windows as the veteran Arrester sat at his cluttered desk reviewing several bundles of documents while signing off on a number of other scrolls. As the rest of the office staff continued to buzz about with their duties, Alexi stopped and put down his quill with a sigh. His mind kept wandering back to The Phantom and Alexi couldn't help but wonder what Uthir was doing. Had he made the right decision by letting that criminal go? Of course Alexi had been a little spiteful in his own way to get back at the assassin. He and Ana had kept their guards up those last few days for fear of any other reprisals but none came. Things had been surprisingly calm and that was just as well. They had to finish this paperwork and get back to their primary investigation.

Before he could pick up his quill again, his partner walked through the door carrying a paper. The lawmage hurried over to his desk and waved the notice, "Alexi! There you are! What are you still doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow and sarcastically gestured to his paperwork, "Building a new fourth column for the Senate... and waiting for a judge to sign an arrest warrant for Uthir."

"Ha ha, very funny. You might not need to wait on that warrant any longer," she said as she thrust the paper in front of him.

He gave an exasperated sigh as he took the parchment, "Ana, what are you talking about?"

He stopped when he read the paper and she crossed her arms, "You didn't hear? There's been another murder, except this time it looks like Uthir is the victim."

The Arrester stood up and grabbed his helmet and gear nearby, "Zonot Seven in the Sixth Precinct, huh? It's a little bit of a hike so let's get a move on and check it out!"

* * *

Upon their arrival at the scene, Alexi and Ana made their way out toward the edge of the zonot's waterfront. A small crowd of curious onlookers had already begun to gather at the edge of a short pier while several Arresters and Wojeks cordoned off the area. The two forced their way past the civilians and passed the checkpoint before strolling down the length of the pier. They were greeted again by the younger lawmage named Justiciar Sovel who was already busy taking notes of the scene. Amid the gentle babbling sounds of the water and the morning light which reflected off it, Sovel greeted his two guildmates with a polite nod, "Imperator. Deputy. Seems you got your break in the case."

Ana snorted in amusement from the sardonic humor as she bent down to examine the body, "Looks like that's not the only thing that's broke. Is this really Uthir?"

Sovel handed Alexi the preliminary notes, "Looks that way. A couple of Simic researchers were coming up from the zonot to fetch some supplies. They fished up the body earlier this morning and called us soon afterward. Cause of death looks to be several knife wounds followed by drowning. I estimate he's been dead for about a day, maybe two at the most."

"Well now we know what Uthir's been up to," Alexi noted grimly as Ana continued to inspect the waterlogged corpse of the elf. Like with the murder of Dragos, Uthir now had a rope tied around his neck with a dead rat attached to it. "Can you gather anything else from there Ana?"

"Only that the Orzhov hate rats," she quipped as she stood up and shrugged. "I guess this means that our case is closed. The Vipers all pointed the finger at him so there's not much we can do if our prime suspect is dead."

Sovel gave a thoughtful look and went back to his notepad, "I imagine this homicide will be handed off to another unit, but it is kind of ironic for an Orzhov hitman to go out this way, isn't it?"

Alexi looked over the body of the dead assassin one more time before giving a nod, "He was brought to justice. Maybe it wasn't the best way, but considering how dangerous this guy was, the Orzhov probably did us a favor by killing him. They did did what we couldn't do."

He began walking away from the scene before Ana quietly joined him at his side. "Hey. You all right?"

"I guess so," Alexi admitted, "Part of me wonders if I played this one wrong... that I let it get personal and marked Uthir for death."

"His hands were already bloody and he would have likely kept killing others," Ana pointed out, "You can't be responsible for what he did on his own time."

He gave a dry laugh, "Coming from an ex Bros Wojek, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about that."

"Then let it come from a friend," Ana said putting a hand on his shoulder, "Let it go. It's over. There's one more killer off the street."

He nodded quietly, "Thanks... you're right. I just wish we could get someone else back on the streets though."

Before he could say anything else, an Azorius messenger came forward with a bird that carried a note. The younger female messenger gave a respectful nod of her head and offered the sealed note, "Imperator? A message just came in for you, sir."

"Great. What is it this time?" he mumbled after he thanked the messenger and saw her off. He opened the small envelope and began to read silently. Ana waited and gave him an expectant look.

"Well?"

Alexi smiled brightly as he tucked the note away and took his partner by the shoulders, "It's from Kristof Mazur. He said Sara's awake! She's recovered from her coma!"

The lawmage laughed and gave him a hug, "That's great news! I'm glad to hear it! Are you going to go see her?"

"No. Not right now," he explained, "She's going to be in the hospital for just a couple says more. Her husband is planning to have a little welcome home party for her and he sent me an invitation."

"Oh... well, that's great," Ana said, "I'm sure she'll be glad to see you and you can tell her the news of of what happened with this case."

Alexi shrugged, "Well, the party is just going to be an informal thing at a local tavern. Why don't you come with and tell her too? I'm sure Sara would like to meet you."

"I guess that would be okay..." she said hesitantly.

"Wasn't it you who wanted to tag along with me after work and cut loose a little?"

Ana stopped and gave her friend a chuckle, "I did, didn't I? All right Lazlo. You're on. It's a date then."

As she turned and walked off, Alexi blinked and hurried to chase after her, "Hey! Wait a second! That's not what I meant! Anastasia..."

* * *

Several days later, Alexi and Ana attended a welcome home celebration for Sara who had just returned from the hospital. After they had gotten off duty and dressed down to their casual civilian clothes, they made their way to a local tavern in Griffin Heights that had been rented out for the evening. Despite the cool night air, the tavern was brightly lit and warm while a small crowd of people milled out eating, talking, and laughing over drinks. The guests who were present all looked to be family members, friends, and some other local merchants who wanted to show their support. Amid some colorful lanterns and steamers that decorated the room, a small group of local musicians played some music making the atmosphere that much more lively and festive.

As they made their way through the crowd, Alexi and Ana were greeted by Kristof Mazur who bounded over when he spotted them. He wore a bright smile and shook their hands gratefully, "Imperator Lazlo. Deputy Radic. Thank you so much for coming. And thank you for your help with everything. I was told that the Black Viper gang was finally taken off the street largely due to your efforts."

"Oh... you're welcome," Alexi answered politely, "We were just doing our jobs."

"What he means to say is that we were happy to help," Ana added cheerfully as a server passed by and handed them some mugs of ale.

"Was the criminal who hurt Sara among the group that you took in?" Kristof asked.

Alexi gave a thin smile, "Let me just put it this way. He's been taken care of. Maybe it's best if I tell Sara herself."

"Yes, of course!" Kristof nodded leading them across the room to a table where Sara was seated. Although she was the guest of honor and not dance or walk around much, she still looked happy just to be there. Despite having a part of her head still bandaged, the young woman had recovered well and looked much healthier now.

She stopped and stared in surprise when she saw the familiar face of the Arrester approach her table. "Alexi Lazlo? Is that... really you?"

"Hello Sara," he said quietly, "It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Too long," she agreed gracing him with a kind smile, "But it's good to see you again after all these years. I'm not sure I would have recognized you if you were wearing your armor either."

"I decided to leave it at home today," he replied, "Sara, I'd like you to meet my partner on the job, Anastasia Radic."

"You can just call me Ana, and it's nice to meet you," the lawmage said giving a polite handshake, "Alexi told me you two are old friends who grew up together. Maybe we should give you both a couple minutes to catch up. Mr. Mazur?"

Ana and Kristof left the table to speak with some other guests and give them a few minutes privacy. Once they were out of earshot, Alexi sat down beside Sara at the table and spoke contritely, "I'm sorry I kind of disappeared for a long time... that I never came by to visit. I just never knew what to say and maybe I was a little scared of seeing you again too."

"Sacred of seeing me? I find that hard to believe," Sara smiled kindly as she gently teased him, "I thought you Arresters are the ones who are always charging headlong into danger, stopping dangerous criminals and fighting monsters."

"You make us sound a lot more heroic than we actually are," Alexi answered with a wry chuckle, "Still... I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. For a while, I was scared I wouldn't get a chance when I heard what happened to your shop. You were very brave to take on those crooks and I couldn't say I was surprised to hear it."

"My husband told me about what you and your partner did, to help stop the gang and the person who attacked me."

"They aren't going to hurt you again. I can promise you that," Alexi said solemnly.

Sara smiled quietly, and pulled something from the pocket of her dress, "I know. You were looking out for me when you left those flowers in the hospital too."

She put a small silver locket on the table with gold inlay and the blue enameled Azorius crest on it. It was the same one he had taken from Bogdan's shop and secretly left with her at the hospital. Many in the guild received such trinkets for their service and those items were often passed around as gifts to others too. Alexi looked at the locket and smiled, "Even if I didn't come by, I always did try to keep an eye out on you from a distance. I didn't want to bring up the past again but..."

"But we were young dumb kids back then," Sara offered, "Kids who were in love and weren't thinking too clearly either. Don't apologize Alexi. The important thing is that you're here now."

He nodded quietly and looked around, "There are a lot of other people who came to wish you well. You've built a nice life for yourself, with your business and with Kristof. I'm glad for you."

"And so have you Alexi," Sara said gently, "You've become a great Arrester and have helped so many people of this district already. Even if I couldn't understand your job or deal with the danger, I'm proud of you... for doing what you were always meant to do. And speaking of, you should come around the neighborhood more often. I'd be happy to mend your uniform or tailor your clothes any time for free."

"Thanks. I think I will," Alexi smiled warmly.

Sara gave a small chuckle, "And feel free to bring your friend along too."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Your partner Ana... she's cute. Don't you think?" Sara asked with a smile.

The Arrester was caught off guard, "Well... sure. I guess so."

"Then why don't you ask her to dance right now?" Sara suggested as the musicians began to play a slower calmer melody. Some of the other guests already picked up the cue and began to find a partner to dance with.

"Oh... well, I don't know. I couldn't..." Alexi began but Sara put her hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know what your rules are Alexi, but I do know one thing. It's okay to be a little selfish sometimes too. You've done enough for the city and for all of us here. Why don't you go do something to make yourself happy, at least for tonight."

The Arrester stopped and smiled as he gave her hand a squeeze, "Yeah... all right."

Alexi rose from the table and headed over toward the bar where Ana was busy chatting over drinks with other woman and a female vedalkin. As they all shared a mutual giggle over a joke that was told, the Arrester approached and gave a polite nod to the other women, "Ladies. Sorry to interrupt, but do you think I can steal away Miss Radic for just a few minutes?"

The other guests gave him some room as he took Ana's hand and led her toward the main floor where several couples were already dancing. She gave him a curious look, "Alexi? What's going on?"

"What? It's a party. I'm being casual."

"You're dancing," she pointed out, "You don't like dancing."

He led her out on the floor and gave a shrug, "Well I decided I'd give it another try. Humor me here?"

Alexi put an arm around Ana's waist and held her as they stepped in time to the slower tune being played. After a long moment, Alexi spoke quietly, "You know, I haven't gotten a chance to thank you recently."

"Oh? For what?"

"I don't know. I guess for having my back on this recent case?" he mused, "For helping me out... and for just being a good friend."

Ana looked up at him and laughed gently as they swayed together, "Now I'm kinda curious what you and Sara were talking about. What's gotten into you tonight, Alexi?"

"I guess Sara just reminded me of something important. That's all."

"That it's okay to act like a human?" she teased before he gave her a playful little pinch in the side.

Alexi shook his head, "No. She reminded me that I shouldn't forget to live for myself sometimes. To appreciate what I have and not let good things go."

"Hmm... now I know you can't be talking about me," Ana pointed out with a smirk.

He laughed, "I know I'm not the most open and expressive person, and that I can be a little difficult to work with even on the best of days... but I want you to know I'd like to work on being better about that."

Ana laughed and settled into his arms, resting her cheek on his shoulder, "I'd like that... just don't change too much, okay?"

They continued to dance and enjoy a companionable silence before Ana asked curiously, "Alexi, you think this is okay? How we are right now? Like this?"

"I don't know," he admitted honestly, "At least for tonight, I'm really not going to worry about it. Right now, I'm not Imperator Lazlo and you're not Deputy Radic."

Ana graced him with a quiet smile and went back to enjoying the moment, "Yeah. I think I can live with that."

He nodded and continued to dance, enjoying the quiet moment between them. There were probably still some words left unspoken, but they could wait. As they danced, Alexi wondered if perhaps Sara Mazur was right. He wondered what that would mean going forward, and he wondered what new cases and dangers lay ahead. At least for tonight, Alexi was happy. He had done his job, he had reconciled with Sara, and maybe even took a step forward with Ana. For now, the district was safe. The world was in order and that was something Alexi Lazlo could live with too.

**The End**

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**A/N:**  
**Thanks so much to anyone and everyone who's followed along the whole way! I hope you enjoyed the story, even if the crime drama genre is a little unusual compared to most of the stories here. While planeswalkers and mythic heroes are all great, the thing I love most about Ravnica is the chance to explore the day to day lives of common citizens or the adventures of regular every day heroes. Please feel free to let me know if you liked the story. Otherwise, thanks as always for reading!**


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